Head to French Trail for otherworldly beauty
East Bay Area, CA — Like a coveted surf spot whose location remains a secret for generations, French Trail in Redwood Regional Park is the kind of place I couldn’t believe was so easy to access.
How could a trail this good remain hidden before our very eyes, neatly tucked away in some of Oakland’s best landscapes and bragging rights, namely its parks.
I have spent my life wandering the dusty trails of the greater Bay Area, but French Trail and the surrounding network made such as impact on me that I find myself returning every couple of years. And it keeps getting better.
West Ridge Trail is an easy warmup that leaves directly from the parking lot and cuts through scenery with a high up in the trees feel. The crowd you just left near your car will be a distant memory within minutes as you circumvent the northernmost part of this 1,833-acre park.
French Trail is the quintessential extreme trail in terms of footing, obstacles and general trail navigation. The trail follows a knife-like ridgeline, then dives into a dark and eerie “Star Wars” Ewok world – if you can imagine that. Picture third-generation redwood groves with moss and ferns as far as the eye can see.
Chutes and ladders
The backbone of this hike is French Trail. But with lots of choices that spire in different directions, check out Tres Sendas, Madrone and Redwood Peak trails. Every downward plunge was combatted with a leg screaming climb-a-thon. If that is your thing, this trail was made for you. Picture a chutes and ladders routing that leaves you wondering how much this equates to on the stair-master at your local gym.
About 95 percent of this hike is covered in shade, and it’s quite peaceful. It’s amazing that a relatively small slice of park can make the visitor seem so far away from civilization. No sounds pierced my veil of quiet.
There is one small “con” to this hike. Make no mistake, this could be your itchy and scratchy paradise if you are not very careful. I had to use more than a few of my trail moves to jump over, around and under branches of poison oak (#Tecnu).
French Trail is the perfect recipe for all things outdoors. Take a pinch of solitude, throw in some roots, rocks and stumps, stir in brilliant trail routing, four shakes of shade, a dash of poison oak, 39 shades of green, mix it all up and now you have the ultimate in outdoor trail adventure.
This park has very liberal off-leash dog policies, which means a well-trained dog can have the run of the place. Add in Redwood Bike Route (8.22 miles) and a portion of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and make this your next hiking destination. Enjoy life’s adventures.
Redwood Regional Park
- Trails: French Trail
- Distance: 6.91 miles
- Elevation Gain: 1,883 feet
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Trailheads: Skyline Gate Staging Area (limited parking, restrooms, water, maps
Contact Kevin Parker with comments or questions by email at LukeHollywood@gmail.com